VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

SCOTUS shrugged: or did it?  Did the Supreme Court Of The United States shrug under the weight of Trump, his sycophants, and his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement when, in essence, presented with the question; will the American people be willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary and fight for as long as it takes to preserve the American democracy?  Or did they, after being bolstered by the seating of the three new hand-picked Trump justices to the SCOTUS, just say no?  It seems fair to refer to these justices this way based on how Trump has bragged on them and referred to them as “my judges” and how the SCOTUS has made tectonic anti- stare decisis decisions, along partisan lines, since their appointment which seem to be based on nothing other than the supermajority established by their appointment.

Did the Supreme Court Justices make these decisions based on their personal feelings as to how they feel the country should be run rather than on the existing law of the land?  If not, why else would they make these kinds of decisions lightly without seriously considering, respecting, and honoring stare decisis; something that each of them emphatically claimed to deem of extreme importance in any decision to change proven, longstanding laws?  The SCOTUS has made no effort to help the American people to understand why they have made these decisions.  Instead, they have continued to make head scratching decisions that have raised the eyebrows of legal experts and the American people at large.  Yet, in their arrogance, they say that no other branch of government has the right or power to monitor them and continue to insist on monitoring themselves as regards their ethics and decisions.

As of the posting of this article, the 2024 presidential election is only 65 days away.  According to the polls, Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump are running neck-and-neck.  It is mindboggling that this is the case since Trump has so many things going against him.  He continues to fight to prevent any of the cases against him from going to trial before the election.  And so far, he is winning.  Much of his success can be attributed to the SCOTUS, whose supermajority seems to be pulling for him to be reelected, for slow-walking his appeal before ruling in his favor on “presidential immunity.”  Trump’s campaign is a mess, his running mate – J. D. Vance keeps digging the hole that he is already in deeper with his constant gaffs, and Trump, well, he continues to be Trump.  He is still lying, saying outlandish things, and he is even still breaking the law; e.g., his photo op at Arlington cemetery’s Section 60.

None of this outlandish talk and conduct should come as a surprise to the American people because of what Trump and all his sycophants have become; they’re just weird.  And this would be funny if the stakes were not so high.  Our democracy is at stake!  So, we all must stay focused and remember that their being weird does not make them any less dangerous!  As Kamala Harris – for the people says at many of her rallies, “we still have a lot of hard work to do!  But hard work is good work!”  And as working-class people, we know what hard work is.  And each of us takes pride in doing that work because we know who we are and we know that together with all middleclass people we are the backbone of America!

So, forget about what the polls are saying, whether they reflect positively or negatively for us and let’s get to work, work hard, and continue to work hard until we put Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz in the White House…and keep Trump out of serving in the government in any capacity in perpetuity; especially the White House.  The way to do this is with our vote.  So, always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

The Democratic National Convention, which was a resounding success, is over; Kamala Harris – for the people, and Tim Walz have accepted the nomination of the American people to be their nominees for president and vice president of the United States of America and Kamala Harris – for the people, has called us, the American people, to action.  So, in the words of former President Barrack Obama at the close of his convention speech, “lets get to work!  I’m starting by writing and posting this article to encourage E  V  E  R  Y  O  N  E to get out and vote in the 2024 presidential election; you must vote, before the polls close, by TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024.

Just a few short weeks ago Democrats were deeply depressed because the Party seemed to be completely lost and in total shambles after President Joe Biden crashed and burned during his debate with the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.  The former occupier of the Oval Office and all Republicans could not hide their glee after the debate.

The press had all but called the election, before ballots had even begun to be cast, for the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.  They scourged President Biden and demeaned him with negative comments about his debate performance and declared Trump the winner while they winked at his total disregard for the truth in the comments he made, parried questions the hosts asked him and, instead, pivoted to subjects that he preferred to address.

The former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, with his chin raised high, could not resist projecting an air of superiority; his self-proclaimed air of superiority that he feels is his birthright: not just an air of superiority over President Biden in this debate, but over everyone in every way.  After all, according to him, he is the chosen one.  Trump believes that his supporters should shield him from all harm and accusations leveled against him.  Unfortunately, and without doubt, President Biden had committed a major blunder that had gifted Trump and the Republican Party with a major campaign boost; as if they needed it.

The Democratic Party was in total disarray and the only way back from this debacle would be for a politician at the pinnacle of power to willingly cede that power to another politician which was completely unthinkable.  Democrats had good reason to be depressed and their Party leaders desperately searching for a positive way forward.  Democrats were in an untenable situation and Trump and the Republican Party knew it.  That is why they were so giddy after the Biden-Trump debate.  But in their giddiness, they failed to account for the Democratic Party’s secret weapon: love of country more than love of the job; love of principle more than an insatiable desire to cling to power.  These things were personified in the very man that the press skewered because he lost the debate; President Joe Biden.

And as if he knew this and sensed that to cede his power was exactly what he must do, President Biden did the unthinkable, he ceded his power to Vice President Kamala Harris.  The former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and this new Trump-led Republican Party were taken totally by surprise because they had long ago abandoned all principles that they once held and, ostensibly, love of country more than love of power.  Now the Republican Party was completely discombobulated because their plan A, which was to wage a personal attack on President Biden in every way possible and malign all his policies, was suddenly obliterated and there was no plan B.

THANK YOU PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.  WE LOVE YOU, JOE.  Thank you for your integrity and for being the decent and caring man that you have always been: thank you for standing on principle and placing country above your personal political ambition.  These Republicans were completely incapable of anticipating this move because they no longer espoused principles or honor; the only thing they have left now, so far, is power and their sheer determination to cling to it.  And when Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are elected president and vice president – then hopefully, they, like their leader who has experienced it already, will be removed from public office and never allowed the honor to serve again.  America deserves better!

What a difference three weeks make; 504 little hours!  In this short period of time Democrats went from complete despair to euphoria and a packed, energized Democratic National Convention while Republicans went from overwhelming giddiness to complete despair.  The script was totally flipped.  But Democrats cannot afford to rest on our laurels.  Speakers at the convention emphasized that this will still be a tight race and each of us must do their part to help assure that Democrats win this election so that democracy will be preserved.  And because democracy is on the ballot, that means that everything that it provides is on the ballot.

With this in mind, everyone should, no, must vote.  In the words spoken by former First Lady Michelle Obama at the convention, “do something”!  That means we should not only vote but we should encourage others to vote.  We should not wait to “get the call” from the campaign to make our contribution, whatever that might be, to help save democracy but we should do it of our own volition because America’s current situation demands it.  So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line